Good Ol’ Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

If you haven’t noticed by now, I have a thing for comfort food. Don’t get me wrong- I’m an appreciator, if not lover, of all cuisines. When done properly, there are very few foods I don’t enjoy, in all honesty. Except capers. I hate capers. But stick-to-your ribs, feels-like-a-giant-hug, wash-it-all-down-with-lots-of-cuddles food is where I shine. Both in the making and in the eating. I’m not from the south, but my tastebuds seem to think otherwise. Set me in front of a table full of fried chicken, barbeque, shrimp and grits, or chicken and dumplings, and I’m done for.

This is my version of chicken and dumplings. It is the dish I make when someone needs a little extra love, and you can taste that in every bite. The silky broth, savory chicken, and exquisitely puffed melt-in-your-mouth dumplings make this dish what I suspect Heaven must serve on chilly evenings.

Ingredients:

Stew:

4 T. bacon fat (or butter)

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 yellow onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

4-5 carrots, chopped

4-5 ribs celery, chopped

1/3 c. all purpose flour

4 c. chicken stock

1 c. white wine

1 c. whole milk

1 chicken boullion cube

Juice from 1/2 lemon

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings:

2 c. all purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1 c. whole milk

4 T. butter, melted

zest from half a lemon

pinch of salt

Instructions:

In a large pot, sauté onion in bacon fat over medium/high heat

When onions are translucent, add carrots and celery and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes

Add garlic and cook until vegetables have just started to brown

Add flour to the pot and stir until the flour is absorbed and the vegetables look a bit pasty, cook for about one minute

Add wine to the pot and cook until all of the liquid is gone from the pot

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest, add milk mixture to flour mixture until it all comes together to form a dough, knead with clean hands until dough is smooth

Add lemon juice, milk, and frozen peas to stew, season with salt and pepper

Drop dough in golfball sized pieces into the stew, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until dumplings have doubled in size